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It has holes on the bottom as well.
Please inform me of all the uses (and the name of) this tool.

Tetsujin
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Vorac
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    I thought it was a garlic press at first, but they don't have holes in the sides, just the end. – Criggie Nov 09 '20 at 22:51
  • @Criggie also it's huge - it would take a couple of hours to peel enough garlic to fill this up halfway. – Vorac Nov 10 '20 at 03:39
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    Could have been someone with very small hands... – Criggie Nov 10 '20 at 04:01
  • Sorry for no banana. Sorry @SE for the off-topic but I must :( – Vorac Nov 10 '20 at 04:04
  • In my childhood my parents used a similar one to press juice from pomegranates. Now, after reading the answers I start doubting if they used it for intended purpose. Or may be just similar devices. – Andrew Savinykh Nov 10 '20 at 07:11
  • Interesting, in my childhood mashed potatoes (smooth) were made using a [Manual Puree Machine](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/726909196083005099/). And yes, it takes some time to clean even disassembled and with the potatoes still hot. – Matthieu M. Nov 10 '20 at 13:21
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    A ricer is especially important where you do not want the mash to be overworked, for it to stay light and fluffy, as for gnocci. – Robin Betts Oct 11 '21 at 20:11

5 Answers5

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It is a potato ricer. You place boiled potatoes in the basket and push the lever down to squeeze the potato through the holes. They are handy for making very smooth mashed potatoes, though they can be tricky to clean - washing them immediately or at least putting them in water so the potato doesn't harden is advised.

ElendilTheTall
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    It can be used to mash anything that is soft enough (pumpkin, carrots, lentils, beans) and soft dough for frying. – SZCZERZO KŁY Nov 09 '20 at 13:47
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    It is also an important tool to create plum dumplings (which I know from a recipe that my grandfather brought from Bohemia after WWII and has always been my favorite dish at my grandparent's). See here on how it is being used: https://youtu.be/9QvudCaxsAo?t=27 . – dasmy Nov 09 '20 at 20:40
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    Plum dumplings aren't the only ones this is necessary for. A number of Czech dumplings need dumplings that are boiled and than mashed using this tool. The consistency is a little different than you would get using normal mashing. – DRF Nov 10 '20 at 10:49
  • * not dumplings, but potatoes – DRF Nov 10 '20 at 13:35
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In Germany, it is also indispensable for making Spaghetti-Eis.

https://youtu.be/aOw6EKCq4kY

Geo Vogler
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    I wouldn’t recommend the model pictured for spaghetti ice - use one that has holes on the bottom only. This allows to drape the strands in a pile of “spaghetti”, whereas the holes-all-over model just makes a huge mess. – Stephie Nov 09 '20 at 20:46
  • Also, for spaghetti ice you probably would want slightly bigger holes. – MaxD Nov 10 '20 at 14:16
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Also in southern Germany you would use it to make "Spätzle", a long kind of noodles made out of dough containing eggs, flour, milk (or water) and salt. Nowadays it is highly uncommon to use a device with holes on the side but I do know some people who still do. The device is commonly referred to as "Spätzle-Presse" or the one and only original "Spätzle-Schwob". The one with the side holes is preferably used for mashed potatoes, jam or juice.

Dschoni
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I use for ricing baked russet potatoes for Gnocchi.

Tarus Baldeschi
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-5

It is also used as a coffee press

Paula Myers
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    That would have to be *very coarse ginds*? – Stephie Oct 09 '21 at 05:24
  • @Stephie And some serious dexterity to get the water in and pressed through. – bob1 Oct 09 '21 at 07:29
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    @PaulaMyers That really cannot be used as a coffee press. There’s no gasket around the plunger; the water would flow around the sides rather than be pressed through. – Sneftel Oct 09 '21 at 09:08
  • @Stephie: you could use a coffee filter, but as Sneftel mentions, the lack of of an upper gasket is going to be the real problem. – Joe Oct 09 '21 at 09:38